Former Karnataka Minister from Mangaluru UT Khader is against the New Mangalore Port Trust’s (NMPT) plan to privatise container-handling operations at the port.

Addressing the media in Mangaluru on Wednesday, he said that the NMPT has already handed over coal handling at berth 16 to Chettinad Mangalore Coal Terminal Ltd. It is now planning to hand over the container cargo operations to a private operator.

Such a move will affect several clearing and forwarding (C&F) agencies working at the port. Stating that the port has implemented the end-to-end mechanisation of the coal cargo handling, he said the proposed move to privatise container-handling operations will affect them further as many locals work in such agencies.

He urged the Member of Parliament from Dakshina Kannada, Nalin Kumar Kateel, who is also the president of the Karnataka unit of the BJP, to lead a delegation of the stakeholders — from the shipping sector and elected representatives from the district — to the Union Shipping Minister to explain the problems arising out of privatisation. The other MPs from coastal Karnataka should also raise their voice in the matter, he said.

Kateel should impress upon Union Shipping Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya to earmark at least 50 per cent of the jobs for locals in the proposed private ventures of the port, Khader said.

Also, the Centre’s proposal to hand over the operations of Mangaluru International Airport to a private operator and the merger of public sector banks, will affect several people from the region, he said.

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